movie deal

English

Noun

movie deal (plural movie deals)

1. An agreement between a movie production studio and various other stakeholders for the production of a movie, usually based on some source material or other intellectual property created or owned by one or more of the stakeholders.
   • 2011, Ellen Firsching Brown, John Wiley, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey From Atlanta to Hollywood, page 120:

     Adding to her irritation were the continuing rumors that Selznick had taken advantage of her in the movie deal.

   • 2008, Susan Gunelius, Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon, page 149:

     Consider this, the buzz around the Harry Potter series did not reach a frenzy until the movie deal was announced and the fourth book was published.

   • 1986 October 11, Steve Gett, “On The Beat”, in Billboard, page 26:

     Sandra Bernhard has landed a movie deal with Alive Pictures for a screenplay she co-wrote, titled "It Came From Poland."

2. An agreement between a movie production studio and an actor, director, or other person involved in the making of movies, by which that person agrees to participate in the production of a certain number of movies for the studio.
   • 2009, Malcolm MacFarlane, Ken Crossland, Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record, page 35:

     News that he had signed a movie deal with 20th Century-Fox had broken in the summer of 1943. Although Como's movie deal came earlier than he expected, it was the norm for a successful singer to look to Hollywood as the next step on the career path.

   • 2006, Leigh Montville, The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth, page 306:

     The agent had arranged a movie deal for Rockne in Hollywood, and at the end of dinner Walsh and Fuller put Rockne in a cab to the train station to catch an overnight to Kansas City, where he would take a morning mail flight to Los Angeles.

   • 1993, Lisa D. Campbell, Michael Jackson: The King of Pop, page 289:

     A story had run on the front page of the Hollywood Reporter that Michael Jackson had signed a five year movie deal with Disney.